Rod wiping device for textile spinning frames



Nov. 11, 1958 w. K. CRAWFORD, 92 2,859,989

ROD WIPING DEVICE FOR TEXTILE SPINNING FRAMES Filed March 23, 1956 "I'I'IIIIA zl (I INVENTOR. WALTEZ K'CRAWFDRD R- 7 BY I ATTORNEYg United States Patenti O ROD WIPING DEVICE FOR TEXTHJE SPINNING FRAMES Walter Kent Crawford, Sr., South Boston, Va. Application March 23, 1956, Serial No. 573,453 4 Claims. (Cl. 286-18) A conventional textile spinning frame includes a series of reciprocating rods on each side thereof which support and operate a component of the frame known as a ring rail, that performs the operation of spinning yarn into thread. 1n the spinning process, fibers tend to collect on the reciprocating rods as they move vertically through cast iron bushings provided upon the frame. Short fibers of cotton, for example, accumulating on the rods, have a tendency to move upwardly or downwardly therealong to the bushings, where they collect and retard the free reciprocating motion of the rods. In many instances this causes defects in the spinning and results in damage to machinery.

The main object of the present invention, in view of the above, is to provide wiper means applicable to the rods and bushings in a manner effective to eliminate the faulty operation and damage which has heretofore resulted. To this end, the invention, summarized briefly, comprises a stirrup for each bushing, having what may appropriately be termed a C-shape, with vertically spaced, apertured legs engaging the top and bottom ends of the bushing and receiving the reciprocating rod. Slidable onto the legs of the stirrup are retainer rings reg-istrable with the openings of the legs for extension of the rod through said rings, and the rings are adapted to cooperate with the legs of the stirrup in holding, in rod-wiping positions, felt washers adapted to wipe the rod clean of all fibers that may accumulate thereon and that would otherwise tend to damage the bushing or retard the free reciprocating motion of the rods.

Another object of importance is to provide a wiping device as stated that will be particularly designed for life both of the rods and of the bushings. Thus, there i is eliminated or measurably reduced the presently required, costly replacement of the rods and bushings at use on conventional spinning frames without requiring modification or redesign of said frames in any way.

Another object is to provide wiping means as described that will be particularly characterized by the ease and speed with which it may be applied to or removed from the associated bushings and rods, thus to permit equipping of a spinning frame with the wiping means in a short period of time without the requirement of special tools or skilled workers.

Still another object is to provide a wiping means of the type referred to that will permit the application of lubricant to the rods, thus to extend the life of the rods and bushings, it having been the practice, heretofore, to cause the rods to operate free of lubrication.

Still another object is to provide rod wiping means of the type referred to which will, under normal operation, require replacement at intervals so infrequent as to render the cost of the wiping means nominal. Yet another object is to provide a wiping device for textile spinning frames that will be particularly designed not only to permit efiicient-operation of the frame without the present tendency of the rods to hang, but also will extend the frequent intervals, this being an operation which requires skilled workers and special equipment, causing considerable expense to the mill owner, apart from the fact that the spinning frame is put out of operation during the performance of the necessary repair or replacement operations.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a spinning frame showing in end elevation the rod wiping means applied to the reciprocating rods of the frame;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the spinning frame substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the wiping means in side elevation;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an exploded, enlarged perspective view of the Wiping device per se.

The spinning frame has been generally designated at,

8, and is a conventional frame of a well known make. The rod wiping means constituting the present invention has been particularly designed for use on this make of frame, but as will be apparent, with slight alterations can be made to operate successfully on any other spinning frames now manufactured.

The illustrated frame includes vertically disposed connecting bars 19 fixedly joined at their opposite ends to opposed but identically formed, angular bearing brackets 12, 14 respectively having vertically aligned openings in which are mounted conventional, cast iron bushings 15 in which are vertically reciprocable rods 16.

Although only one rod is illustrated, it will be understood that the frame includes a series of reciprocating rods on each side thereof, the rods of said series supporting a ring rail 18 having spaced recesses 20, said ring rail performing the spinning operation. The construc tion so far described is wholly conventional in a spinning frame, and it has been found that on reciprocation of the rods within the bushings, fibers collect on the rods. as they move vertically. Short fibers of cotton, for.

Since the devices applied to both brackets are identical,

the description of one will suffice for both.

Each wiping device includes a support frame in the form of a C-shaped stirrup including a vertical .bight 24 and horizontally extending legs 26, 26 extendingfrom the bight, one leg overlying and the other underlying the horizontally projecting portion of the bracket, with the bight spaced outwardly from the brackets asshown to particular advantage in Figures 2 and 3.

Slidable onto the respective legs arewiper retainer plates 25, each of which includes a fiat body extending the full width of the associated leg and formed at opposite sides thereof with downwardly and inwardly turned retaining flanges 23. By reason of this construction, the retainer plates can be slipped onto or off of the associated legs, thus to permit replacement of the retainers Patented Nov. 11, 1958,

Formed in the legs 26 are vertically aligned openings 34 of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the associated rod lfi (see Figure 3)., the openings 34 being aligned with, the, rod-receiving bores of the'bushings 15.

The rings are adapted to hold pairs of felt washers 36, the center openings of which are of a diameter corresponding to that of the rod 16, so that as the rod 16 reciprocates in the wiping devices, the inner peripheries of the washers will be in wiping contact therewith, thus to wipe clean. all fibers which may otherwise tend to accumulate and which under ordinary circumstances enter and damage the bushing or retard the free reciprocating motion of the rod 16 within the bushing.

It will be noted that when the retainer plates are slipped onto the legs 26, the legs cooperate with the outer walls or faces 32 of the retainer rings in confining the washers 36 (see Figure 3). When the retainer plate is slipped off of the associated leg, the fibers are free to drop out of the retainer rings, for replacement of said washers.

In use of the device, the retainer plates are slipped onto the legs, after which the rods 16 are entered through the washers and bushings. It will be noted that wiping means is provided beyond opposite ends of each bushing, since the wiping devices are mounted upon both legs of the stirrup, with said legs being in engagement with the opposite faces of the bearing bracket, adjacent the opposite extremities of the associated bushing 15.

An important feature of the invention resides in the fact that the retainer plates and their associated retainer rings are all identical to one another. In other words, considering Figure 3, one retainer plate can be mounted upon the upper one of the legs of the stirrup 24, while the other can simply be inverted and mounted upon the lower one of said legs.

By reason of the construction illustrated and described, the wiping means may be used on both old and new equipment with satisfactory results. It has been found that on. old equipment, where the rods and bushings ar worn, the machinery is more susceptible to stoppage, due to the clearance between the rods and bushings. In the past, whenthis hanging condition developed, the practice was to replace the rods and bushings. This, as will be appreciated, constitutes an expensive operation involving factory trained service men for installation, plus the use of special equipment. The Wiping means constituting the present invention eliminates the necessity of such costly replacements, and permits the mill owner to operate old spinning frames easily and etficiently.

It has been further found that the felt washers, under normal operation of a spinning frame, need replacement only at relatively infrequent intervals. At such times as replacement is nec ssary, the cost of replacement is nominal, and even unskilled, inexperienced workers can effect complete replacement of the washers on an entire machine in a period of approximately 30 minutes, it has been found in practice. 7

Another characteristic of the invention may be noted, in that in the past it has been the general practice to use no lubrication on the reciprocating rods and the cast iron bushings. This tends to cause undue friction and rapid wear. However, when the wiping means of the invention isutilized, a small amount of lubricant may be applied to the felt washers, thus overcoming abnormal friction and wear. As a result, the frame can be operated with less horse-power, while still producing a better grade of thread than has heretofore been'the case. It will be understood that the materials employed can be varied as desired, and the retainer plate and ring can, for example, be manufactured from steel or aluminum, although aluminum is preferred. The formation of the retainer plate and ring from a single piece of sheet metal can permit the device to be mass produced, thus permitting its sale at a reasonable figure.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A wiping device for a reciprocating rod comprising: a C-shaped support frame including a bight and legs extending therefrom, said legs having aligned openings; retainer plates on the respective legs each including a fiat body and flanges thereon extending longitudinally of the respective legs in slidable engagement therewith for sliding of the plates onto and off of the legs; and retainer rings connected to the respective plates and registering with the openings of the legs in one position to which the plates and rings are slidably moved along the length of the legs, for holding of the plates and rings in saidone position thereof by a rod extending through the openings and rings; and washers of a soft material engaged with the respective rings in concentric relation thereto.

2. A wiping device for a reciprocating rod comprising: a C-shaped support ring including a bight and legs extending therefrom, said legs having aligned openings; retainer rings having slidable connections to the respective legs, said rings overlying the respective plates and being slidable off the plates when shifted in one direction upon the plates; and a flat washer of a soft material engaged between each ring and the leg which it overlies in concentric relation to the ring in one position to which the ring is shifted on the leg, said Washers and rings registering with the openings of the legs in said one position of the rings, the washers being freely removable from the rings on sliding of the rings off the legs.

3. A wiping device for reciprocating rods comprising: a C-shaped support ring including a bight and legs extending therefrom, said legs having longitudinal edges and being formed with aligned openings; retainer plates on the respective legs each including a body extending transversely of the associated leg and flanges on the body extending longitudinally of the respective legs in slidable engagement with said longitudinal edges for sliding ofthe plates onto and off of the legs; and retainer rings connected to one end of the respective plates and registering with the openings of the legs in one position to which the plates and rings are slidably moved along the length of the legs, for holding of the plates and rings in said one position thereof by a rod extending through the openings and rings; and washers of a soft material engaged with the respective rings in concentric relation thereto.

4; A wiping device for a reciprocating rod comprising: a Q-shaped support ring including a bight and fiat,

1 wide, elongated, transversely spaced legs extending therefrom, each leg having parallel longitudinal edges, the legs being formed with openings aligned along a line normal to said planes; retainer plates on the respective legs eachincluding a flat body in face to face contact with and extending transversely of the associated leg, each plate including parallel flanges on the body extending longitudinally of said associated leg in slidable eneasem nt. with aid. lons gd na ges f. the. ee. for

5 sliding of the plates onto and off of the legs; and retainer rings connected to one end of the respective plates and registering with the openings of the legs in one position to which the plates and rings are slidably moved along the length of the legs, for holding of the plates and rings in said one position thereof by a rod extending through the openings and rings; and washers of a soft material engaged with the respective rings in concentric relation thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS France July 19, 1943 

